This invention relates to a device for training golfers in general, and more in particular to a device directed to the teaching of the proper forearm position and swing.
It is fundamental in the game of golf that a golfer must have the proper forearm and wrist position when the club impacts the ball. To that end, numerous devices have been proposed to aid in the attainment of such a correct position. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,891,796 (Cottrell) a golf training device is disclosed which includes a base, an upright standard on the base, and a laterally projecting arm carried by the standard about waist high on the person. Upon the forward swing, the arms, after striking the ball, must follow along the flight path of the ball for a substantial distance by reason of a guide section which presents a surface to the arms of the user, thereby preventing the user from prematurely swinging too closely around his own body. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,733 (Cavanaugh), an apparatus for swinging a golf club is disclosed which comprises a body cage member and a hitting track member to guide the proper hit movement during the swing and the movement of the golf club head in the proper pathway for contacting a golf ball. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,473 (Blasi), the mechanism for use in teaching of a proper golf swing is disclosed which includes a platform on which a golf tee and ball may be placed, and an erect rod fastened to the base, the upper end of which is mounted in a circular band of a size to fit freely about the user's waist. The inside of the band is fitted with contact switches which actuate an alarm signal when touched by the body of the user, indicating that the user's body was not in balance during the golf swing. U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,420 (Boyd), discloses a device comprising a cord reel, and a length of cord for wand storage of the cord on the reel. The cord being adjusted to a fingerless glove to be worn on the hand of the leading arm of the golfer. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,340 discloses a golf swing aid which includes a horse shoe member attached to a belt or strap. The primary disadvantages of the devices of the prior art is that they do not address the problem encountered by the novice golfer, and even more advanced golfers, namely the development of wrist strength, and the development of feel for the correct swinging of the club. In most instances, the novice will only infrequently hit the ball correctly and therefore he cannot develop the correct "feel" for hitting the ball correctly. The primary reason for this deficiency is that all of the golf aids disclosed above utilize a normal length club which creates a large moment of inertia which must be counteracted by the wrist of the golfer during the swing.
A basic problem to the novice, however, is that of learning to allow each hand to perform its specific role in producing the proper swing. It is common for the beginner to permit the right and left hands to interfere with each other during the swing rather than to cooperate. None of the known prior art teaching devices assist in developing such cooperation.